Happy Sunday!
We all know we need to lift weights.
Lifting weights is complicated though! With so much info out there -
what do we do?
Do we lift heavy weights with low reps?
Do we lift light weights
with high reps?
Do we do some type of combo? (yes).
Allow me to explain.
What you DO need to do is gain strength. Whatever age you are. Wherever you are in the world. You NEED to be strong. And lifting weights over time helps that. And doing it for the rest of your life helps with that.
The research shows that progressive resistance training is equally effective whether you use heavier loads for lower reps, or lighter weights for higher reps or heavier loads for high reps, or lighter weights for low reps. They all work to an extent.
But, there is a catch to that. It depends what you are doing.
Personally, I prefer lifting heavy. I really hate high reps. High reps are VERY daunting, especially for lower body compound training like deadlifts, squats, lunges, hip thrusts, etc. I’ve squatted 315lbs for over 10 reps, deadlifted 405lbs for over 10 reps, and barbell hip thrusted 450lbs for over 10 reps. Each of these left me wiped out, panting for minutes waiting for my heart rate to go back down and not wanting to do another
set!
That amount of "volume" is very taxing on the body when you get into really high rep training. For me to complete multiple sets of 315lbs squats for 10 reps is near
impossible, haha! But for me to complete multiple sets of 315lbs at say 3-5 reps - more realistic. And more realistic for me to do for the long run week after week.
With high reps
to failure (think 10-15 reps+), the cardiovascular demand is insane! We have multiple energy systems within our body that work together all the time. Getting to that high end rep range will kick on the aerobic demand within your body because your "strength & power" supplies will have run out by then.
But completing a workout of 4-6 exercises with each having a rep range of 10-20 reps with 3-5 sets, is NAHT IDEAL for strength or time for that matter, haha! You'd be in the gym for hours and you wouldn't be able to get through all of your sets effectively, with correct form or the correct amount of weight in order to progressively overload. You'd just be too gassed.
By contrast - low rep training is also very daunting and tends to beat the body up because there is more demand on that muscle/joint. Deadlifting 500lbs for 1-3 reps won't leave you panting for air on the floor but it will make you feel like lifting that
again is impossible! And completing a workout of 4-6 exercises with each having a rep range of 1-5 reps with 3-5 sets is also, NAHT IDEAL (for most people).
To me, the ideal
lifting strategy is to choose the rep range you prefer most or can consistently do, and this likely differs depending on the lift or exercise. My training style has evolved over the years but I have it pretty dialed in. My ideal rep ranges are as followed (and this goes for me personally and any clients I train):
1-6 reps = strength/power + big compound movements.
8-12 reps = hypertrophy + compound movements + single joint upper body and lower body movements.
15-20 reps = hypertrophy/endurance + single joint upper body and lower body movements.
I like taking myself and my clients through a variety of reps ranges. It's going to come down to the person, how their body responds to the type of training and what they can sustain for the long run. I have some clients who only do 8+ reps. I have some clients who work in the 1-3 rep range. And I have MOST of my clients who do both. I think it’s important to meet people where they are at but to also educate
them on the type of demand they are putting on their body.
Low rep/super heavy sets don’t always make sense for everyone’s specific lifting scenario. Some people may need to work around an injury, some
may not have access to enough load, and some may just not feel comfortable working in lower rep ranges. ITS FINE. You can get strong in a number of ways - the point is just to do whats best for you, what you can sustain, what is going to get you strong and what you enjoy doing for the long run!
You can also incorporate methods to make your sets harder without adding as much load. You can always increase the difficulty of your sets by adding in pauses, increasing your range of motion, adding accommodating resistance like bands/chains, eccentric loading and single
joint only loading - so many options!
The main goal is to get stronger and make progress in some way, shape or form over time. And you do this by getting into something you can sustain
that's safe but effective for YOU.
Have a great day. GO PATS!
